Bookworms is a book club for kids and their grown-ups. It's really fun for kids and grown-ups to get together and talk books. You should try it! This month's choice is the Caldecott Medal book Fables by the great Arnold Lobel. It's funny with wonderful illustrations, a modern classic, and there's so much to talk about. Plus, it's not too long to read before we meet next week. Each of the twenty original fables is one page with an accompanying illustration.We still have a few copies available so come in to the Central Library, sign up for Bookworms and get a copy of the book, and then join us to discuss on Thursday, July 23rd.

We had a great turnout for our February 24, 2015 Urban
Fiction book discussion at the Alma Powell Branch. The book Reverend Hype was written and self-published
by local author Deacon Raymond Ryan. After talking about the motivation
behind writing this fictional story Deacon Ryan lead a spirited discussion. The
participants had questions and comments that contributed to the lively discussion
with hopes that there will be a sequel.

Sonya Hollins, who had helped Deacon Ryan get his book published, joined the group. Sonya talked about the self-publishing. She encouraged everyone to think about telling his or her story. Sonya says that everyone has a story inside.

Attention, Teen filmmakers! If you're planning to submit a film to the 12th annual Teen Filmmaker Festival, don't forget that all submitted films are due January 17th. That's only 10 days from now, so don't wait! Put the finishing touches on that masterpiece and send it to the Teen Services department ASAP. For more information, check out the Teen Filmmaker Festival page or pick up an entry form in person from the Teen Services Desk.

Thursday December 11, KPL’s ONEplace held a workshop on Mindfulness in the Workplace. ONEplace@kpl is a management support organization offering resources and services to nonprofit staff, board, and volunteers in Kalamazoo County. The workshop was presented by Eric Nelson from Stress Management Solutions: Training for Health and Well-being.

We have all heard of the benefits of being stress free, but now organizations and employers are becoming more aware of the rewards of a stress free environment. The improvements in productivity, being more focused, health benefits, less absenteeism and fewer distractions are all incentives for mindfulness in the workplace.

Mr. Nelson talked about being focused, attentive and more disciplined and controlled; being emotionally balanced; and understanding negative emotions. He took us through a Three Step Breathing Space and other mindfulness training exercises.

I greatly appreciated learning ways to set aside just a few moments or minutes to focus and bring balance to my work day. Thanks to ONEplace@kpl.

It's winter recess, holiday break, whatever you call it, and kids have some time away from school. Enjoy some of the great children's programs happening at Kalamazoo Public Library over the next few weeks! Cupstacking, Bubbleman, Yoga Storytime. LEGO at the Library, Stories and Dance, Yummy New Year's Hats, Family Game Day, Movie and Snacks, Flying Aces Frisbee Team... all the details are at Kalamazoo Public Library's online calendar. And, with the Michigan eLibrary, KPL provides access to fun online educational content as well. Take a look at the Michigan eLibrary datase Early World of
Learning and theMeL Kids Gateway. There really is a lot to enjoy!

Maybe you've heard about Derek Jeter's new book The Contract. It begins with a young Derek Jeter sitting in his third grade classroom in Kalamazoo and dreaming about baseball - sliding into home base to win the World Series. Derek Jeter always knew that he wanted to play baseball. Shortstop. For the New York Yankees. The Contract is the first book in Jeter’s middle-grade reader series. The book is based on Jeter’s own experiences as he begins playing little league. A central element of the narrative is the contract that Jeter enters into with his parents specifying how he will prioritize his time in order to really focus on baseball while achieving good grades and spending quality time with his family. The Contract is a readable and inspirational book for middle-school aged readers and their adults.

Kalamazoo Public Library is pleased to announce a call for entries for the 12th Annual Teen Filmmaker Festival! As always, the Festival is looking for the best Michigan teen-produced and directed films. Every year, we get tons of amazingfilmsby talentedteens from across the state and we're super-excited to see what you'll come up with this year. Films are due January 17th, so don't delay- put the finishing touches on that masterpiece and send it to the Teen Services department ASAP! For more information, check out the Teen Filmmaker Festival page or pick up an entry form today!

Beginning in early September, the library will join forces with the Kalamazoo Area Agency on Aging to offer two healthy living workshops that may be of interest to you or someone you know. The first is Personal Action Toward Health (PATH), a 6-week workshop designed to help adults learn techniques and strategies for the day-to-day management of chronic or long-term health conditions, including arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, emphysema, asthma, bronchitis and depression. The PATH workshop takes place on Tuesday evenings at 5:00pm at Washington Square Library beginning September 9. Please call 269-553-7970 to register for Personal Action Toward Health. The second workshop is Matter of Balance, an 8-week workshop designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults. Matter of Balance takes place on Thursday afternoons at 1:00pm at Oshtemo Library beginning September 25. Please call 269-553-7984 to register for Matter of Balance.

Tickets are now available at Oshtemo Library for storyteller Chris Fascione’s performance onFriday, July 25 at 3pm. Fascione brings classic literature to life with storytelling, mime, juggling, and comedy. Don’t miss this crazy fun program! Come pick up a free ticket at Oshtemo Library today!

Summer is a great time to make things with your kids. Whether you are a dad or a mom, you'll find good ideas for collaborative projects to DIY with daughers and sons in Maker Dad: Lunch Box Guitars, Antigravity Jars, and 22 Other Incredibly Cool Father-Daughter Projects. Written by Mark Frauenfelder, the editor in chief of MAKE Magazine, these projects vary in complexity. Most require some kind of tooling but can be adapted in different ways. There are woodworking projects like laminating up wood veneer layers while it's bent to make a pre-sprung long board to cruise the streets. There are imaginitive electonics projects like a kite-mounted video camera. There are plenty of whimsical, imaginative projects here. Also included are tips for devoping practical skills like creating and hosting your own podcast and using a variety of tools. I thought this book was suitable for parents and their elementary or middle-school aged children and up.